Electrical connector with collet retention means



1957 J. A. NAVA ETAL I 3,335,396

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH COLLET RETENTION MEANS Filed Sept. 14, 1964 2SheetsSheet 1 1O FIGI INVENTORS JOSEPH A. NAVA ALVIN R. BURTON n/w sZwAW' ATTORNEYS Aug. 8, 1967 J. A. NAVA ETAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITHCOLLET RETENTION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14, 1964 S R m N E VN JOSEPH A. NAVA ALVIN R. BU RTON FIG9 / TORNEYS United States Patent3,335,396 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH COLLET RETENTION MEANS Joseph A.Nava, Villa Park, and Alvin R. Burton, Northbrook, lill., assignors toThe Pyle-National Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New JerseyFiled Sept. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 396,172 4 Claims. (Cl. 339217) Thepresent invention relates generally to electrical connectors and moreparticularly relates to an electrical connector wherein a singleone-piece rigid insulator having a cylindrical bore for receiving acontact member and a retaining collet is provided with an abutment meansin the bore and in which the collet is provided with mating abutmentmeans thereby to effect a snap-in assembly of the parts.

In accordance with this invention, the connector, which may be of theseparable multiple-pin type, is adapted to receive one or more tubularlyshaped collets made of resilient material and split axially to renderthem radially compressible for insertion into their respective bores.The collets are elastic and after insertion return to shape forengagement with the shoulder surfaces of the walls of the respectivebores to place the collets in firm assembly in the correspondinginsulator.

One aspect of the invention resides in the novel configuration of thewalls of the bores of the insulator wherein a plurality of keys eachhaving sloping ramps, are utilized to facilitate radial compression andinsertion of the collets.

Another feature resides in the construction of the collets wherebythecollets are retained in a one-piece rigid insulating member. Thecollet construction of the invention requires substantially noadditional expense in manufacture, and furthermore makes possibleretention in a one-piece insulator while minimizing assembly time andcosts.

Further, the invention affords full retention of the collets as well assealing of the contact members retained thereby by means of a flexiblerubber-like insulator seal sandwiched between a pair of rigidinsulators.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide aconnector requiring only a single one-piece rigid insulator forretaining contact member retaining collets therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sing e one-pieceinsulator with a collet-receiving bore formed therein and provided withshoulder surfaces for retaining a unitary tubular resilient collethaving complemental circumferential shoulder surfaces adapted to becompressed to a reduced diameter for insertion into the bore withoutinterference with said shoulder surfaces of the bore and to beresiliently expansible to an enlarged diameter to abuttingly engage theshoulder surfaces of the bore upon insertion of the collet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electricalconnector constructed'to provide rapid assembly thereof and requiringonly a single rigid insulator for receiving and retaining unitarycontact member retaining collets which can be easily inserted into theinsulator.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon makingreference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanyingsheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodimentsincorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by wayof illustrative example only.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a multiple-pin connectorincorporating the principles of the present invention with portionsthereof shown in crosssection to illustrate the relation between parts;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of a contact member retaining colletincorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a collet taken substantiallyalong'lines III-III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a collet which illus trates the sheetform configuration of the collet after a plurality of tines and keyslots have been formed therein but before the collet has been rolledinto a tubular configuration for insertion into the connector;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of an insulator of theconnector of FIGURE 1 and illustrates a collet just before completeinsertion into a bore formed in the insulator, but wherein the colletstruck-out tines are omitted from the view for the purpose ofsimplifying the drawing;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken substantially along lines VIVI of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is similar to FIGURE 5 but illustrates the collet after it hasbeen completely inserted into the bore of the insulator, and also omitsthe struck-out tines for purposes of clarity; I

FIGURE 8 is taken along lines VIII-VIII of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is similar to FIGURE 7 and illustrates a pin or contact memberin the collet but before complete insertion thereof.

As shown on the drawings:

Although the principles of the present invention are of generalapplicability, a particular useful application is made to a multi-pinelectrical connector and an illustrative embodiment herein shownconsists of a line connector.

An assembled connector embodying the principles of the present inventionis shown generally at 10 in FIGURE 1 having a male component indicatedat M and a female component indicated at F. The two components M and Fconstitute separable members of a multi-pin or a multicontactconnector'assembly.

The male component M has a cylindrical housing 11 internally structuredto receive a mounting means 12 for retaining a plurality of male contactmembers as at 13 and a rigid thin sleeve or tube 14 and a split ringmember 16 around the mounting means 12. The mounting means 12 isretained and positioned by the sleeve 14 and the split ring 16. Thesleeve 14 is retained in position by a nut member 17 which is internallythreaded for engagement with an externally threaded portion of thehousing 11. The cylindrical male housing 11 has a radially outwardlyextending rib 18 for bottoming a sealing ring 19 on one side 18a thereofand shouldering on its opposite face 18b a flange 20 of an internallythreaded nut 21.

Internally, the male housing 11 has a chamber 22 in which male contactportions 23 of the male currentcontinuing members 13 are adapted to bepositioned. At the end of the cylindrical chamber 22 there is provided aradially inwardly extending flange 24 bottoming on the back shoulderthereof a pre-stressed resilient biasing means 26 yieldably deformablein an axial direction. A grooved recess 27 is formed in the housing 11adjacent the back shoulder of the flange 24 to confine the biasing means26.

Extending away from the grooved recess 27 is a cylindrical bore wall 28with internal keys. The wall is adapted to closely receive theperipheral surface of a resilient rubber sealing member 29 of the malemounting means 12 and has an inner diameter preferably of somewhatsmaller diameter than the outer diameter of the sealing member 29 toyieldably deform the periphery of the sealing member 29 for improvingthe seal between the housing 11 and the mounting means 12.

The female component F has a housing 30 having a cylindrical chamber 31sized to receive in telescoping relation the end of the housing 11 andproviding a radial end wall 32 for sealingly engaging against thesealing member 19 abutting the male flange shoulder 18a. The housing 30has one end externally threaded as at 33 so that the male component Mmay be locked in joined together relationship with the female componentF by threading the nut member 21 onto the female housing 28.

A tool-engaging flange 34 is formed on one end of the female housing 30with the other end thereof threaded as at 36 for cooperation with a nutmember 37.

In general, the female housing 30 is grooved as at 38 to receive abiasing means 26. A plurality of female current-continuing contacts asat 39 are mounted by mounting means 40 and a tubular member 41 surroundsthe mounting means 40 which is retained and positioned by the nut 37.

Each male contact 13 has a socket portion 42 terminating in a firstradially enlarged circumferentially continuous rib 43. Spaced from therib 43 is a second rib 44 having substantially the same outer diameteras the first rib and forming therewith a male contact groove 46 having aforward shoulder 47 and a back shoulder 48. Extending inwardly from thesecond rib 44 is the contact body portion 49 which converges into thereduced diameter cylindrical male insertion portion 23.

The male mounting means 12 comprises two rigid cylindrical insulatingmembers 50 and S1 and the cylindrical resilient rubber seal member 29sandwiched therebetween. The rear insulating member 50 has formedtherethrough a plurality of cylindrical passages as at 53 each of whichreceives a male contact member 13 and has a cylindrical wall 54 of aninner diameter larger than the diameter of the first male contact rib 43and has an outer surface 56 that has a stepped configuration so as to bespaced approximately an equal distance from the inner walls of the tube14, the split ring member 16 and the housing 11.

The forward insulating member 51 has an outer surface 57 that is spacedfrom the bore wall 28 of the housing 11 and has a shoulder 58 forbottoming the biasing means 26. The insulating member 51 is counterboredat each end to form a cylindrical passage 59 having a diameter slightlylarger than the diameter of the male contact portion 49 of the malecurrent-continuing member 13; a back counterbored cylindrical contactbore 60 having a diameter equal to the diameter of the rear insulatingmember bore 54 and in contact with the forward face of the rubber seal29; and a forward counterbored passage 61.

The rubber seal means 29 is sandwiched between the rear insulatingmember 50 and the forward insulating member 51. The mouths of therespective contact bores 54 and 60 are in sealing contact with oppositefaces of the rubber seal. Both of the insulating members 50 and 51 havechamfers 62 and 63 respectively on their facing end walls to receiveexpanded portions of the rubber seal 29. The outer diameter of therubber seal is larger than the diameter of the housing bore wall 28.Therefore, when the mounting means 12 is inserted in the housing 11, the

outer periphery of the seal 29 is compressed, as indicated at 64, toseal the housing 11.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the rubber seal 29illustrated in the drawings is merely exemplary, and otherconfigurations of the seal may be advantageously utilized in accordancewith the principles of the invention.

A plurality of holes as at 66 are formed through the rubber seal 29 andare arranged to be concentric with the insulator passage walls 54 and60. The seal holes have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the malecontact groove 46 and protrude radially inwardly into the groove suchthat the rubber seal will be compressed to present pressure surfaces inabutting sealing relation against adjacent shoulder surfaces of the ribs43 and 44.

The female contact mounting means 40 is similar to the male mountingmeans 12 and comprises a rear rigid insulating member 67 similar to theinsulating member 50, a rubber seal 68 similar to the rubber seal 29 anda front rigid insulating member 69 sandwiching the rubber seal 68between it and the back insulating member.

The insulating member 69 has a plurality of elongated contact bores 7 0formed therein in register with a plurality of holes 71 in the front endthereof for receiving the male contact insertion portions 23.

Also, the rear insulator member 67 has a plurality of elongated axiallyaligned contact bores 72 wherein the mouths thereof abut the back faceof the rubber seal 68 and the mouths of the bores 70 abut the front faceof the rubber seal 68. The dimensional characteristics of the contactbores 70 and 72, the rubber seal 68 and the female mounting means 40 areidentical to that described previously in connection with the maleportion M of the con nector 10.

The female contacts 39 have an enlarged contact rib portion 73 disposedsimilarly relative to the female contact as is the rib 43 disposed tothe male contact member 13. In addition, housed within the bores 54 and72 of the rear insulating members 50 and 67 of the male and female M andF components respectively is a contact member retaining collet 74 forretaining its respective contact member snugly in place to precludewithdrawal thereof.

It will be noted that each of the collets 74 is housed completely andexclusively within its respective rear insulating member, which is ofthe rigid one-piece type. Retention of the collets within the rearinsulating members is not dependent upon any retention means within thefront insulating members or the rubber seals.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the collets 74 are constructed from athin, elongated rectangularly shaped sheet form member 74a asillustrated in FIGURE 4. A plurality of tines 76 are formed in alignedside-by-side relation by struck-out portions formed in the slots. Eachof the tines 76 has adjacent thereto a pair of spaced parallel leg slots77 interconnected at one end thereof by means of a transverse slot 78.

The sheet form member 74:: is constructed of resilient material havingparallel front and rear walls 79 and 80 respectively, and a pair ofparallel end walls 81 and 82, and may be folded or wound into thecircularly shaped, tubular or annular configuration of FIGURES 2 and 3,in which configuration the opposed end walls 81 and 82 form an axiallyor longitudinally extending slot 83. In its assembled form, a forward orfree end 84 of each of the tines is pushed radially inwardly to engagethe contact member received in the collet 74.

FIGURES 5 through 9 will be described in relation to the male componentM, but it will be appreciated that the description and the figures areequally applicable to the female component F.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be noted that the passage 54 ofthe rear rigid insulating member 50 is more particularly characterizedas comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially inwardlyprojecting collet retaining key portions as at 86 which are comprised ofa radially inwardly inclined and axially outwardly extending slopingsurface 87 and a radially extending shoulder surface 88. Also formed inthe passage 54 in axially spaced relation to the shoulder surface 88 isa collet retaining shoulder 89 which is constituted of a chamferedportion 90 and a radially extending shoulder surface 91 which, incooperation with the shoulder surface 88, forms therebetween an axiallyextending groove 92, the diameter of which is equal to the diameter ofthe passage 54.

Although it is necessary to provide only one key in each passage toretain a collet therein, more than one per passage may be effectivelyutilized, and in the em bodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE6, a total of two collet retaining keys 86 are shown within the passage54 for the purpose of retaining the collet 74 therein, and such keys 86are conveniently circumferentially spaced by 180. In order to receivethe keys 86, one of the leg slots 77 of each of a pair of tines may beenlarged as indicated at 77a of FIGURE 4 and dimensioned to extendaxially when arranged in assembled condition to receive the entiresloping portion 87 of the respective keys.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate a collet after it has been wound or rolledinto the assembled configuration as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, andafter it has been partially inserted into the passage 54. The front wall79 of the collet 74 has been urged radially inwardly by the rampsprovided by the sloping portions 87 of the keys 86 whereby a forward end93 of the collet 74 has been radially compressed and the correspondingfront ends of the walls 81 and 82 of the collet have been urged togetherto reduce the width of the slot 83 at such front portion of the collet.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate a collet after it has been completelyassembled within its respective rear rigid insulating member 50 and itwill be noted that the front Wall 79 of the collet has been movedforwardly sufficiently such that the key members 86 have been receivedby the enlarged slots 77a of the collet 74. As a result, the collet hasresiliently expanded to a true tubular shape as exemplified by thespaced parallel disposition of the walls 81 and 82, which now form arectangularly shaped slot 83.

The front wall 79, as illustrated in FIGURE 7, faces the opposingshoulder surface 91 of the collet retaining shoulder 89 to preventfurther axial movement of the collet 74, and front walls 77b of theenlarged slots 77a are in oppositely-facing relation to thecorresponding shoulder surfaces 88 of the collet key members 86 topreclude reverse axial movement or withdrawal of the collet.

As illustrated in the enlarged view of FIGURE 9, the free state diameterof the free ends 84 of the tines 76 is less than the diameter of themale contact members as indicated at 13a, and as a front wall 13b of thecontact member is inserted in the direction of the tines, a spreadingeffect of the tines is produced. As best illustrated in FIGURE 1, afterthe contact members have been fully inserted into their respectivebores, the free ends of the tines are resiliently radially inwardlycontracted to abut against the enlarged rib portions 43 and 73 of thecontact members, thereby satisfactorily preventing withdrawal of thecontact members. In addition, in the sheet form configuration of thecollets the tines 76 are bent sufficiently radially inwardly such thatin an assembled condition, there Will be produced a radially outwardbias exerted on the tines which will, in turn, maintain a radiallyoutward bias on the collet to assist the natural resiliency or springaction of the collet to maintain engagement thereof with the collet keymembers 86.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in theart, it should be understood that we Wish to embody within the scope ofthe patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably comewithin the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A contact member retaining collet for use in a connector having aone-piece rigid insulator with a tubular bore of a specified diameterformed therein and having a radially inwardly extending substantiallycircumferentially continuous first shoulder surface formed in said boreand a plurality of circumferentially spaced keys formed in said borespaced axially from said first shoulder surface and each having acomplemental radially inwardly extending second shoulder surface formingwith said first shoulder surface a circumferential groove and having aradially inwardly sloping ramp leading to said groove, said colletcomprising,

a tubu-larly shaped sheet form member made of resilient material andhaving a front end and a rear end and being split axially between saidends to render the collet radially compressible to reduce the diameterthereof for insertion into said bore and springably resilientlyexpansible to enlarge the diameter thereof after insertion into saidbore,

a plurality of circumferentially spaced tines formed in said collet andsloping radially inwardly from said front end toward said rear end forengaging and retaining a contact member,

each of said tines being formed of a generally U shaped slot having apair of axially extending leg members and a transverse portioninterconnecting said leg portions,

a plurality of key slots formed in said collet situated to receiverespectively one of the keys including said ramp portion thereof,

each of said key slots being with one of said leg shaped slots,

said front end of said collect being adapted to ride on said ramp ofsaid keys during insertion into said bore to facilitate compression andinsertion of the collet and said front end of said collet being adaptedto bottom on said first shoulder surface upon insertion thereof.

2. In an electrical connector, a collet comprising a thin sheet-formmember made of resilient material and shaped in the form of -a tubularlongitudinally split sleeve,

said collet having struck out portions forming a plurality of tinesdisposed in aligned side-by-side relation with a pair of spaced parallelleg slots interconnected at one end thereof by a transverse slot, and

an insulator having a tubular bore for receiving said col-let insertedtherein,

said bore having formed therein a radially inwardly extending colletretaining key,

said key having a radially inwardly inclined and axially outwardlyextending sloping surface,

a corresponding one of said leg slots in said collet being enlarged toreceive and seat said key,

whereby said collet may be slidably inserted in said bore and saidsloping surface of said key will bias the collet radially and the entirekey including said sloping surface will be received in said enlarged legslot.

3. In an electrical connector, a collet comprising a thin sheet-formmember made of resilient material and shaped in the form of a tubularlongitudinally split sleeve,

said collet having struck out portions forming a plurality of tinesdisposed in aligned side-by-side relation with a pair of spaced parallelleg slots interconected at one end thereof by a transverse slot,

an insulator having a tubular bore for receiving said collet insertedtherein,

formed contiguously portions of one of said U- said bore having formedtherein a radially inwardly extending collet retaining key, said keyhaving a radially inwardly inclined and axially outwardly extendingsloping surface, a corresponding one of said slots in said collet beingenlarged to receive and seat said key, and means forming in saidinsulator in axially spaced relation to said collet retaining key acollet retaining shoulder comprising a radially extending shouldersurface and a chamferred surface leading to said shoulder surface forreceiving one end of said collet in abutting engagement.

4. An insulator having a tubular bore with a collet retaining keyextending radially into the bore, a contact member retaining colletmounted in said bore and comprising a thin sheet-form member shaped inthe form of a tubular longitudinally split sleeve,

said collet having struck out portions forming a plurality oflongitudinally extending tines disposed in circ-umferentially spacedlongitudinally aligned side-by-side relation for sloping radiallyinwardly of the collet to abut a shoulder of a contact member insertedinto the collet, and

means forming a key slot in said sleeve within the longitudinal confinesof said tines to receive and to seat the collet retaining key.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Quackenbush 339-89 Nava et a1.339217 Bachman 339-217 Bowen 339-217 Kelly 339217 Dahlen 339217 X Nava339-217 X FOREIGN PATENTS MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner.

1. A CONTACT MEMBER RETAINING COLLECT FOR USE IN A CONNECTION HAVING AONE-PIECE RIGID INSULATOR WITH A TUBULAR BORE OF A SPECIFIED DIAMETERFORMED THEREIN AND HAVING A RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLYCIRCUMFERENTIALLY CONTINUOUS FIRST SHOULDER SURFACE FORMED IN SAID BOREAND A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED KEYS FORMED IN SAID BORESPACED AXIALLY FROM SAID FIRST SHOULDER SURFACE AND EACH HAVING ACOMPLEMANTAL RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING SECOND SHOULDER SURFACEFORMAING WITH SAID FIRST SHOULDER SURFACE A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE ANDHAVING A RADIALLY INWARDLY SLOPING RAMP LEADING TO SAID GROOVE, SAIDCOLLET COMPRISING, A TUBULARLY SHAPED SHEET FORM MEMBER MADE OF ARESILIENT MATERIAL AND HAVING A FRONT END AND A REAR END AND BEING SPLITAXIALLY BETWEEN SAID ENDS TO RENDER THE COLLET RADIALLY COMPRESSIBLE TOREDUCE THE DIAMETER THEREOF FOR INSERTION INTO SAID BORE AND SPRINGABLYRESILIENTLY EXPANSIBLE TO ENLARGE THE DIAMETER THEREOF AFTER INSERTIONINTO SAID BORE, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED TINES FORMED INSAID COLLET AND SLOPING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID FRONT END TOWARDSAID REAR END FOR ENGAGING AND RETAINING A CONTACT MEMBER, EACH OF SAIDTINES BEING FORMED OF A GENERALLY USHAPED SLOT HAVING A PAIR OF AXIALLYEXTENDING LEG MEMBERS AND A TRANSVERSE PORTION INTERCONNECTING SAID LEGPORTIONS, A PLURALITY OF KEY SLOTS FORMED IN SAID COLLET SITUATED TORECEIVE RESPECTIVELY ONE OF THE KEYS INCLUDING SAID RAMP PORTIONTHEREOF, EACH OF SAID KEY SLOTS BEING FORMED CONTIGUOUSLY WITH ONE OFSAID LEG PORTIONS OF ONE OF SAID USHAPED SLOTS, SAID FRONT END OF SAIDCOLLECT BEING ADAPTED TO RIDE ON SAID RAMP OF SAID KEYS DURING INSERTIONINTO SAID BORE TO FACILITATE COMPRESSION AND INSERTION OF THE COLLET ANDSAID FRONT END OF SAID COLLET BEING ADAPTED TO BOTTOM ON SAID FIRSTSHOULDER SURFACE UPON INSERTION THEREOF.